SUSTAINABILITY was the theme of a conference involving Basingstoke schools.

Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), in Worting Road, hosted the event at which members of the Sustainable Basingstoke Forum addressed students.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, who set up the forum in 2012, gave the opening speech.

Other speakers included representatives from Greening Chineham, the Smart Future Centre, Old Down and Beggarwood Conservation Society, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and the Basingstoke Alternative Action Group.

Mrs Miller said: “We are so lucky in Basingstoke in having wonderful green spaces around us as well as the River Loddon. We need to look after our environment and all of us have a responsibility to do what we can to protect and improve it.”

Pupils from Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School, in South Ham, The Costello School, in Crossborough Hill, and Brighton Hill School, in Brighton Hill, attended the event.

The conference was organised by Spencer Brown, president of the Student Union. He said: “It was to increase awareness of what’s happening. It went really well.

“The main importance of it was that we wanted to get young people to come along because they are the new generation and can make the big difference.”

The 17-year-old, from Four Marks, added: “There were interesting points raised about how quickly things can change with the smallest of differences. A lot of the students were really engaged and interested.”